Hem marker for skirts



Aug. 21, 1951 G. H. WHITE 2,565,335

HEM MARKER FOR SKIRTS Filed Sept. 8, 1948 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 .INVENTOR GEORGE l-LWHITE ATTORNEY Aug.21, 1951 G. H. WHITE HEM MARKER FOR SKIRTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1948 Aug. 21, 1951 G. H. WHITE 2,565,335

HEM MARKER FOR SKIRTS Filed Sept. 8, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 GEORGE H. WHITE ATTORNEY Aug. 21, 1951 G. H. WHITE 2,565,335

HEM MARKER FOR SKIRTS Filed Sept 8, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR GEORGE l-l. WHITE JMWW AT TQFQNEY Patented Aug. 21, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to skirt markers and more particularly to a skirt marker adapted to attach adhesively to the outside surface of the skirt, a strip of tape to indicate the desired length of the skirt and to aid a seamstress in properly hemming the skirt at a uniform height throughout its entire periphery.

An object of primary importance of the invention is to provide a hem marking device for a skirt or other garment enabling the garment to be marked while being worn and while a person wearing the garment is slowly rotated while standing on a platform or table at a position sulficiently elevated to enable the operator to actuate the tape dispensing device while in a convenient and comfortable position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tape dispensing device preferably manually operated, resiliently holding the tape =being dispensed against the surface of the garment while the platform and wearer are slowly rotated.

Another object of the invention is to permit wide vertical adjustment of the tape dispensing device to apply the tape to a skirt at any desired height above the platform on which the wearer stands and also to provide lateral adjustment for various types and sizes of skirts.

A feature of importance of the invention is that the skirt having the marking tape applied to it is retained between freely rotatable members resiliently forced toward each other during the hem marking operation and one of which is rotated manually to advance the skirt between the rolls and adhesively apply the tape to the skirt while the skirt and the wearer are being rotated on the plateform, the axis of rotation of the platform being at a proper distance from the tape dispensing device, and the tape dispensing device preferably having adjustment toward and from the axis of rotation of the platform.

And finally it is a feature of importance to provide a simple tape dispensing device to apply the tape adhesively to the surface of the garment at any desired height while being passed between two opposed rollers and while in wearing position and to make use of a commercial tape supply in rolls retained in position for dispensing from the roll mounted adjacent the device.

With the above and other objects in view the invention may include the features of construction and operation set forth in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification, I

have shown the invention embodied in a complete hem marker for skirts but it will be understood that the invention can .be otherwise embodied and that the drawings are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims appended to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a complete hem marker made according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the hem marker shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the hem marker shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the tape holding and dispensing device forming a part of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of some of the parts of the tape dispensing device shown in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a central vertical section taken through the tape dispensing device.

In the above mentioned drawings, there has been shown but one embodiment of the invenor platform extremely slowly; third, guard rails on said base; fourth, a tape dispensing device on the base adjustable vertically and horizontally relatively to the stand; fifth, means to manually operate the tape dispensing device during rotation of the stand or platform, and sixth, means to pass the skirt between rollers resiliently pressed toward each other during the hem marking operation.

Referring more in particular to the figures of the drawing, it will be seen that the contruction includes a base H] on Which is rotatably mounted at a convenient height, a stand or platform l2 on which the person being fitted may stand or on which a model may be placed. As shown in the figures the base If) includes an enclosure having a step M on one side and supporting the stand or rotatable table l2 on anti-friction rollers or balls [5 so that the stand [2 may rotate in a horizontal plane and slowly rotate the person or model thereon.

To rotate the stand or table [2 a small motor I6 may be housed within the base It and connected through speed reducing gearing 2b of any type to a worm 22 meshing with a worm gear 25 fixed to the shaf 26 on which the stand 52 is mounted.

Fixed to the base It) and extending partially about the base at a convenient height above the stand l2 are hand railings 28 which may be grasped by the person being fitted.

To adjustably support the tape dispensing device 38 the base it may be provided with two parallel vertically extending rods 32 on which a bracket 38 forming a principal part of the tape dispensing device support may be slidably mounted. To raise and lower the bracket 3i, supporting .36 tape dispensing members a fixed screw 3A may be mounted adjacent the vertical rods 32 having a nut 35 rotatable thereon and rotatably mounted within the bracket 33. This nut 35 carries a bevel gear 37 meshing with a companion gear 39 on a short outwardly extending shaft having a small crank or handle 35 on its outer end. By rotation of the crank or handle 38 the bracket 39 and tape dispensing members supported thereby may be raised or lowered to any desired height above the level of the stand l2.

Mounted on the bracket 35 is the tape dispensing device including a roller 38 over which the tape it passes and which is in contact with the outer surface of the skirt 44 being marked. Against the inner surface of the skirt presses a small roller it mounted forfree rotation on the upper end of a U-shaped member 48 as shown in Fig, 5. This inner roller 45 as shown may be mounted on a suitable anti-friction bearing on the U-shaped member and is positioned directly in alignment with the roller 33 over which the tape 48 passes. By this disposition of the rollers 38 and 48 the skirt M by rotation of one of the rollers will be advanced and a length of tape will be adhesively applied uniformly to the outer surface of the skirt.

The roller 38 may be manually rotated by a suitable knob 53 secured to the shaft 52 on which the roller 38 is mounted.

To supply tape to the device a supply 54 in the form of a roll may be mounted on the device as shown over rotatable studs 55. To accommodate the varying diameter of the roll of tape 54 the supporting studs 56 may be mounted on a plate 55 spring pressed by a light helical spring 65 in a direction toward the roller 33 engaging the outer surface of the skirt M. The roll of tape 54 therefore will always resiliently engage the roller 38 over which it passes before bein applied to the skirt.

To press the skirt 44 against the tape the U-shaped member 48 may be mounted in fixed position on the lower surface of a plate 82 on the bracket 33. This plate 62 is slidable in a direction toward and from the roller 33 and is normally pressed toward this roller 38 by means of a light spring 64. To aid in placing the skirt in position between the rollers 38 and 46 a small lever 66 is mounted on the bracket 33 so that the slide or plate 52 carrying the U-shaped member 48 may be moved in a direction to separate the rollers.

To operate the device a person steps on or a model on which the skirt is draped is placed on the table or rotatable stand I2 and is slowly rotated by the motor [8. The rollers 33 and 45 are separated by the lever 66 and the bracket 36 raised or lowered to position the bracket at the proper height for the desired length of skirt. The inner roller 46 is then moved by lever 66 to press against the inner surface of the skirt and toward the outer roller 38. The knob 50 is then turned to dispense tape 45 from the supply roll 54 and apply it to the outer surface of the skirt as the skirt is rotated. The tape 40 may be of any preferred type and formed of paper, plastic or fabric to which an adhesive coating is applied to one side which side engages the surface of the skirt. After a complete rotation of the person or model on the rotatable table l2 tape will be, by continuously rotating the knob 59, applied completely around the skirt at the desired height which position will be at a uniform height from the surface of the table [2. The tape 49 therefore will indicate the position of the hem and will enable a seamstress to form the hem of the skirt at the proper position. After completing the hemming of the skirt the tape 36 may be removed Without marring the surface of the skirt material.

To determine the height at which the bracket positioned a series of graduations l'G may be applied to one of the vertical rods 3 To adapt the tape dispensing device for various types and sizes of skirts, the bracket 35 may be pivotally mounted relative to its support on the rods 32 so that the position toward and from the aXis of rotation of the table may be widely varied. For convenience in supporting the end of the tape preparatory to starting the hem marking operation a knob 53 may be mounted on the bracket 38 over which the end of the tape may be placed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A skirt marker comprising a base, a stand thereon for a person or model wearing the skirt, a tape dispensing device adjustably mounted on said base, opposed rollers on said device, means to relatively rotate said stand and dispensing device, means to swing said device about its support toward and from the axis of rotation of said stand and means to apply a tape to a surface of said skirt while said tape is passed over one of said rollers and while the skirt is passing between said rollers at predetermined uniform heights above the stand.

2. A tape dispensing device for applying tape to a surface of a skirt, means to support a skirt in wearing position, a roller on said device over which adhesive tape passes, a roller in opposed position to said first roll, means resiliently pressing said rollers towards each other, means to swing said device about its support toward and from the axis of rotation of said stand and means to traverse said rollers about a skirt with the skirt disposed therebetween, whereby a continuous strip of tape may be adhesively attached to a surface of the skirt by passing the skirt between said rollers.

3. A skirt marker comprising a base, a rotatable stand thereon for a person or model wearing the skirt, a tape dispensing device on said base, rollers on said device between which said skirt is disposed, means to vertically and horizontally adjust the position of said device relatively to said stand and manual means during rotation of the table to rotate one of said rollers to apply tape to a surface of said skirt after passing between said rollers.

4. A skirt marker comprising a base, a rotatable stand thereon for a person or model wearing a skirt, vertical rods adjacent said base for vertically adjustably positioning a support for a tape dispensing device thereon, pivotal means connecting said device to said support for movement of 5 said device toward and from the axis of rotation of said stand, means to slowly rotate said stand, rollers on said device between which said skirt is disposed, means to manually rotate one of said rollers, and means to dispense tape and adhesively attach said tape to a surface of said skirt after said tape passes over one of said rollers during rotation of said stand.

GEORGE H. WHITE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Langdon July 29, 1879 Hammond Aug. 10, 1880 Malarkey Dec. 12, 1899 Tartara Dec. 19, 1916 Wells Apr. 10, 1928 Yocum Aug. 28, 1934 Price Nov. 23, 1937 Hoffman Nov. 22, 1938 Adams Mar. 14, 1944 Connolly Aug. 29, 1944 McNab Nov. 19, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Number Great Britain Aug. 

